It has recently been discovered that a human fetus which is still in the uterus of the mother can hear sound after between twenty-four and twenty-eight weeks of gestation. In fact, it has been found that at least some fetuses are capable of remembering some of what they hear in utero after birth. Thus, it is now known that fetuses are not relatively insensitive to stimulation as was previously believed. Recent research has indicated that human fetuses whose mothers read aloud various stories to them in utero recognized and preferred those stories after birth. Indeed many parents of very high I.Q. children have attributed the high I.Q. of their children to such parental reading aloud by the mother.
Despite this recognition of the benefits of prenatal learning, no feasible means of systematically imparting information to a fetus has been devised. Reading aloud by the mother is inconsistent and relies upon the mother's willingness to do such reading on a regular basis. Furthermore, it is impractical for the mother to perform such reading aloud in public places or while working. Still further, it is highly desirable to impart information to the fetus in many fields of discipline, such as physics, mathematics or foreign languages, with which the mother may not be familiar.